Submerged
by Loopstagirl
Summary: Sometimes, the rescues go without a hitch. The danger emerges after they are home.


_Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners._

_Just another little one-shot for you all._

* * *

Gordon stretched as he surveyed the dam in front of him. From where he was, there was no sign of the crack that had threatened to tear the whole structure apart. It had been touch and go as to whether his seal would hold in time or whether the force of nature would win, but he had done it. The storm raging over head made the waters so rough that even he had felt his stomach lurch as he had dived below in order to patch up a dam just in time to stop it from bursting and washing away the village that had situated itself by the banks of the river.

"Thunderbird Four to Mobile Control. I'm surfacing now, Scott." Waiting for his brother's confirmation it was safe to do so, Gordon lightly touched the controls on his 'bird and rose towards the surface. He was fine with being underwater, but there was still a smile on his face as he broke the surface and could breathe fresh air again. It was normally better when he could emerge into the sunshine like something out of a poem, but the storm was still raging ahead and the waters were harder to handle on the surface. Rather than having his moment of glory, Gordon couldn't let his concentration slip for even a second as he forced himself to return to the pod.

It was a battle, but eventually he had Thunderbird Four secured and radioed Virgil to pick up the pod with him still in it. The weather out there was too dangerous; he couldn't go out onto the pod and spring over to the land the way he usually did. If he missed, it wouldn't be a calm lake he fell into but a swirling pool that was more likely to dash him against the side of the pod than let him swim to safety.

His stomach always lurched uncomfortably when he felt the sensation of the pod swinging underneath Two until the mechanisms drew it in and it safely locked into position. Realising he had been holding on with a white-knuckled grip, Gordon forced himself to take a deep breath and relax. The pod had stopped swaying now; it was in place and they were going home. Letting go, he moved swiftly through the pod and into the main body of the machine, making his way towards the control deck with sure feet.

Virgil's face was pinched with concentration as he battled the storm but he gave his brother a swift look.

"Nice job. Must have been hell down there."

"Had worse," Gordon said with a shrug, slipping into his usual seat. Over small matters - moments that didn't mean anything in the long run - Gordon liked to brag and make everyone aware of what he had just done. But he never did that with a rescue. He knew they all had their moments of success and failure, of carrying off impossible odds. Besides, it wasn't like he would have even made it out here if it wasn't for Virgil and wouldn't have known where the crack was located if Scott hadn't guided him in. They all played their part, Gordon was just the one who had received the rough end of the deal this time in regards to the hands on part of the rescue.

He didn't realise how much it had taken it out of him. Luckily, the storm was a local one and once Virgil had gained some height and speed, they were soon leaving it behind. As soon as the craft had stopped battling the winds, Gordon felt himself relax. Before they were halfway home, he had fallen asleep.

It passed the time quickly and it felt like his eyes had only just shut when Virgil was shaking him awake again. His older brother had a fond smile on his face that Gordon ignored by pretending to shift as if he was going to put his feet up. Virgil's smile disappeared instantly and Gordon knew they had reached an understanding; there would be no teasing about how cute Gordon had looked while resting. Satisfied that he still knew how to handle his older brothers, Gordon climbed from his seat.

That was when he felt it.

A small click in the base of his back that instantly sent a wave of pain through him as the muscles constricted. Gordon swallowed hard, recognising the signs. He needed to ease it up somehow. But he needed to do it before either his brothers found out or the muscles seized completely. He was in no mood to be landed in the infirmary for a couple of days when all he really needed to do was ignore it and let it ease itself up again.

"Gords? You okay?" Gordon suddenly realised he had grabbed hold of the back of the chair and was keeping his breathing even and controlled. He was bracing himself for the wave of pain he was sure was on its way. But not wanting Virgil to start asking questions, he let go and grinned.

"Peachy. Just giving you a head start. Know it's hard for you oldies to keep up these days." Virgil shot him a scathing look and turned away, but not before Gordon had seen the concern in his eyes. His brother somehow knew that Gordon was lying and probably even had a good idea of why. Determined he was going to prove him wrong, Gordon strode past causally.

To his delight, his body let him without betraying him.

Perhaps this time it had just been nothing more than a twinge and he would have actually got away with it?

The rescue had come in early in the morning. By the time debriefing had taken place, lunch was ready and Gordon was ravenous. He ate well, realising he had just effectively banned himself from the pool for a couple of hours. He forced himself to remain relaxed, knowing he had other ways of working out his back. Besides, he thought he could wait out extra time for he had been pain-free since they had left the silos.

After they had eaten, Gordon ignored the way Virgil seemed to be watching him closely and announced that he was going to check over Four. It wasn't uncommon for the brothers to spend some time in their Thunderbirds after a rescue, especially when the weather had been as bad as that. Gordon swiftly found he wasn't going down there alone; both Scott and Virgil also wanted to make sure the storm hadn't scratched the paintwork of their precious crafts. The three brothers travelled down the service elevator together but then split up once they reached the ground.

The silos were big enough that each Thunderbird had its own designated area with space around it for work. But it also meant that whoever was down there could get some peace and quiet, even if all the machines were being worked on at the same time. Scott went one direction while Gordon and Virgil travelled in another. But halfway there, Virgil peeled off as well with just a wave of his hand.

"Just you and me then, girl," Gordon murmured when he reached his own 'bird. He let his hand run over the bodywork as he checked her for damage. He moved cautiously, making sure he didn't over exert himself while he carried out the routine maintenance. By the time he had examined the hull, he was beginning to believe the twinge had been nothing more than that, for he hadn't felt anything else since. Opening the airlock, Gordon let himself drop into the sub.

Some of the instruments had been flashing at him while he had been underwater and he just wanted to make sure it had been the storm's interference rather than anything being wrong. Setting up the diagnostic check, Gordon settled himself comfortably in his chair. The mechanics in a sub were about the only sort of engineering Gordon understood, but he was pleased that anything routine with his 'bird, he was able to handle himself. It was when things started to go wrong he needed the assistance of a brother or two, or Brains, if things were really bad. But for now, he just let his mind relax as the Thunderbird sorted herself out.

When everything came back as clear, Gordon gave the dashboard a gentle pat and made to stand up.

Instantly, agony tore through his torso, his back feeling like it was on fire. Unable to stop himself, Gordon let out a hoarse cry as he collapsed back into the seat. His hands gripped into tight fists and he forced himself to breathe calmly, to think through the pain. But he hadn't had an episode like this for a long, _long_ time and it was hard to stop himself from panicking. His body didn't want to respond to his commands and Gordon knew there was no way he could stand on his own right now.

Telling himself it would pass in a moment, Gordon battled to keep the tears of pain at bay, determined that he wasn't going to give into his weakness. But the pain didn't pass. If anything, it seemed to get stronger and Gordon could feel himself panting as he struggled to maintain his composure. One hand jerked slightly and before Gordon truly knew what he was doing, he had pressed something on his watch.

He didn't hear Virgil's voice, there was a roaring in his ears drowning out everything as he felt all the muscles in his back spasm. He must have made some sort of noise though, given a clue to something not being right for the next thing he knew, the airlock was open and his brother was peering at him.

"Gordon!" Virgil dropped in beside him, quick and calculating eyes taking in the situation. Gordon could feel tears trickling from his eyes as the pain continued to wrack his body.

"Come on, you need to be lying flat," Virgil muttered, reaching for him.

"Can't… can't move," Gordon gasped, realising that his brother didn't know the only reason why Gordon was still in his seat was because he couldn't physically get out of it. Everything had locked and there was no way Virgil could simply pull him up without causing agony. Considering the pain was he already struggling to control, Gordon wasn't sure he could stand anymore.

"Okay, easy, Gords…"

His fingers gripping into the arms of the chair, Gordon felt his chin hit his chest as he fought for some sort of dignity. He knew Virgil had seen him worse than this though and knew it was pointless. Almost as if punishing him for thinking that he could control the pain, another wave of it tore through him and Gordon grunted. It was either that or scream and Gordon had no intention of losing his voice. He could vaguely feel Virgil's hand on his shoulder, but his brother's voice felt like a long way away. Gordon knew what drowning felt like, but as he felt himself drifting towards unconsciousness, he knew it was a similar sensation.

"Gordon." The sharp voice dragged him back and Gordon groaned. Why couldn't they let him find his peace? He blinked his eyes open, not having realised he had even closed them. Then he found he had to blink again, for he was sure only seconds had past. But somehow, Scott was now also in Thunderbird Four. He was kneeling by Gordon's chair, clearly keeping out of Virgil's way. Gordon didn't know who had initiated it, but he suddenly realised that he was squeezing his brother's hand. As another tremor shot through him, Gordon had to wonder whether he was capable of actually breaking Scott's hand like this.

Virgil didn't seem to notice or care, however. There was a bag that had definitely not been there before by his feet and Gordon recognised it as his medical kit.

"I'm fine," he muttered through a thick tongue, realising he must have bitten it at some point.

"I'll believe that when you get out of that chair," Virgil muttered. Gordon made to brace himself to show that he could. The second he tensed, he instantly regretted it and Scott's hand was on his shoulder, not only grounding him but making sure he didn't try it again.

"That wasn't a challenge, kiddo. We've got to get you out of here. Virg is going to give you something to help you to relax, okay?"

Gordon shook his head. He could handle this. He didn't need help. He could already see that Virgil was drawing out a measure of a solution, the needle seeming to glint in the lighting of Thunderbird Four. Scott squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"You can't stay in here, Gords. You've already been here for two hours. It's only going to make you worse, we have to get you stretched out."

Two hours.

How had he been here for two hours?

Gordon knew he must have been floating between consciousness and darkness for far longer than he thought. No wonder the rest of his body was begin to protest at being stuck in one position for so long.

His shocked silence must have given Virgil the consent his brother was after for the next thing Gordon knew, there was a sharp scratch of a needle in his arm. Gordon just sat there, grimacing as the pain continued to feel like it was tearing him apart. But then Scott and Virgil's faces seemed to blur together for a second. Gordon blinked and they separated. Then it happened again. Only this time, forcing his eyes open after blinking was a challenge.

The third time it happened, Gordon felt himself sagging before he knew nothing at all.

"-don? Gordon, can you hear me?"

"Ungh…."

"Good morning to you too," a voice laughed and Gordon forced himself to blink awake. As the white-washed ceiling swam into view, Gordon knew instantly where he was. He shifted slightly as he let his eyes adjust and found Virgil watching him closely. A relieved smile spread over Virgil's face when he saw that Gordon was focusing on him and he moved out of Gordon's eye-line, giving Gordon an uninterrupted view of the rest of the infirmary. Bathed in sunlight.

Virgil hadn't been joking when he said good morning.

"How long have I been out?" Gordon muttered hoarsely. Without thinking about it, he made to sit up. Then he froze, waiting for the pain to hit. But nothing happened. Virgil had seen the movement and Gordon's pause had been enough time for him to get back to Gordon's side and alter the head of the bed, aiding his brother in sitting up before resting him back against the pillows. He paused Gordon a glass of water, who instantly began sipping it gratefully. He had been in this position too many times to know not to gulp it.

"All night. The sedative knocked you out so we could move you but then your own exhaustion kicked in and kept you asleep. How are you feeling?"

"Stiff," Gordon muttered honestly. He sat and thought for a moment, reconnecting with his body as it were. "But okay."

"We used the heat pads once we had you up here. The tremors stopped after another hour and I've given you a pretty strong painkiller so you don't feel it for now. Unlike it to strike without warning, isn't it?"

Gordon blushed, glancing away.

"You knew?"

"It was only a twinge. And then nothing else happened. I thought it was fine," Gordon protested. He hadn't known that would have happened and didn't see why Virgil was looking at him like he was an idiot. But Gordon knew precisely how to disarm his brother.

"Thank you," he murmured softly and Virgil instantly relaxed. His hand squeezed Gordon's shoulder before he moved away, clearly to tell the others that Gordon was awake. Gordon watched him go. There was no way he was going back to sleep, not after spending so long out of it. Instead, he began to tentatively move his back, feeling the muscles and the way they reacted. It seemed the tremors truly had stopped, for there was no pain, only a deep ache.

Gordon knew there was nothing Virgil could give him to ease that. There was only one thing that could properly help. Gordon let himself rest back on the pillows as thoughts tumbled over his head; plans of escape, methods of distraction.

Virgil might have helped him down in the silos. But his brother had another thing coming if he thought Gordon was just going to sit here and be the good patient.

Gordon had a pool to get through and nothing, not even a brother, was going to stop him.


End file.
